Identity Thieves Love Citibank

Written by Cassandra S. Hess    Saturday, 12 March 2011

Citibank's TV ADS are all the rage. Women speaking with men's voices warn of credit-card identity theft -- and humorously plug Citi's new program to help customers whose identities are swiped. Yet even as these ads run, Internet thieves have been targeting Citi's customers with the latest Net scam. Here's how the crooks do it: They send out spam, hoping to snare some Citi customers. The e-mail looks like it's from the bank, asking for an update on their data. But when customers click on a link to fill out the form, they land on a replica of Citi's Web site. If they answer a painstakingly forged form, their credit card, personal identification, and Social Security numbers go straight to identity thieves, many of them in foreign countries. Some resell credit-card numbers, says the FBI, for as little as $1 apiece. These scams are on the rise. Attacks victimize others, including Best Buy and the PayPal unit of eBay. But Citi, a steady target, has had to issue 14 alerts to customers in the past two months. The company won't say how many of its customers have been duped but says the attacks in no way undermine the company's identity-theft campaign. The bank warns customers not to respond to e-mails. Those whose info is snatched can take cold comfort: Citi's identity-theft program gives them a hand canceling stolen cards and filling out police forms.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 12 March 2011 )